[Psychologic adjustment to therapy in children with cancer]

Peculiarities of adjustment of pediatric cancer patients and their perception of the disease were studied in a group of 29 including 12 cases of hematooncological diseases and 17 cases of different solid tumors. Projective psychological methods were used. Such menifestations of failure to adjust as lower selfesteem, feeling of guilt, helplessness, passivity, anxiety and fear were observed in nearly all the patients. Adequate adjustment was found to be determined by the formation of a similarly adequate perception of the disease which in turn becomes possible when the problems involved were discussed with the patient by competent medical staff and well-counseled parents in an open and trust-worthy manner.